Chelsea schools report MCAS gains; district moves off state's "needs assistance" list

Chelsea Public Schools reported measurable gains on last year's state assessments, and district leaders told the school committee those results mean Chelsea is no longer classified by the state as needing assistance or intervention. Superintendent Dr. Albeda said the district's cumulative criterion growth rose from 39% to 44%, a 5 percentage-point increase that contributed to the change in status.

The superintendent presented school-by-school accountability percentiles and highlighted particular improvements at Hooks Elementary and Berkowitz. "From 24 to 25 we went from 39% criterion growth to 44% overall," Dr. Albeda said, adding that graduation-rate improvements also contributed to the district's upward movement. He cautioned that several schools still rank below the state average and that five schools remain classified as needing assistance.

Committee members pressed for technical clarification about DESE terminology and how the accountability percentile is calculated. A committee member asked whether the presented percentages indicate closeness to DESE's growth targets, and Dr. Albeda explained that DESE sets a cumulative criterion improvement target and an accountability percentile that positions each school relative to others in the state.

Members discussed the impact of students leaving for charter schools on middle-school results. Committee member (speaker 10) said some families choose charter schools for reasons including longer hours and perceived differences in class size; Dr. Albeda said the district has begun outreach projects (including work by interns) to better communicate middle-school offerings to families.

What happens next: the committee received the MCAS overview and asked staff to continue tracking growth and to return with updates and additional data. A committee member requested more quantitative evidence linking the new policies to improved outcomes, such as comparisons against last year's data.